


Falling for You

by enjolras_lexa



Category: Ghostbusters (2016), Ghostbusters - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - High School, Bisexual Character, Bisexual Erin Gilbert, Cute Ending, Developing Relationship, Eventual Romance, F/F, Flirting, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gay Jillian Holtzmann, Gen, Ghosts, High School, Humor, Lesbian Character, Multi, Oblivious Erin, Other, POV Erin Gilbert, POV Jillian Holtzmann, Pre-Relationship, Protective Jillian Holtzmann, Romance, Slow Build Erin Gilbert/Jillian Holtzmann, Teen Romance, Women Being Awesome, ghostbusters - Freeform, mostly happy, super gay, weird and impossible science stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-07-26 16:53:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7582171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enjolras_lexa/pseuds/enjolras_lexa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High school AU where Erin falls for her best friend's lab partner. Love, laughter, and ghostbusting ensues.</p><p>Update: newly edited! It's all clean and shiny! And proof-read! Take a look!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Our Story Begins

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my first fic, and I'm really excited about it! Keep in mind that I'm not a scientist, though I will research before I write. Please leave a kudos and/or a review; constructive criticism would be appreciated. I kept the 'pilot' chapter short, but I promise there's more where this came from (and it'll be better written too). Enjoy!
> 
> Update: Yes, the rumors are true: Falling For You is going to be a movie! Just kidding. It is, however, properly edited and the chapters have titles so that's good. Have a (second) read! I changed a bunch of stuff I didn't like. If you see anything else that should be changed, let me know in the comment section. 
> 
> \- EL

Chapter One: 

Erin Gilbert, lunchbox in hand, scanned the crowded cafeteria for her best friend. Actually, crowded would probably be an understatement. Jam-packed, crammed, ridiculously over-populated, and full to breaking point would all be more appropriate descriptions of the agoraphobic's nightmare that was her high school's lunchroom. 

However, Abby Yates' frantic waving upon seeing Erin made her easy enough to spot even amidst the throngs of students. Erin smiled at her longtime best friend, and began navigating the perilous path between her and Abby. 

"Hey!" Abby greeted Erin enthusiastically. 

"How's the first Monday of senior year going so far?" Erin replied, before taking a bite of her sandwich. 

"Great! The librarian got some new books on modern ghost sightings I think you'll like, and I haven't even gotten any homework yet so we can look through them tonight." 

Abby and Erin usually made a habit of staying over at each other's houses as often as their respective busy schedules permitted it. The arrangement had been going on for so long that they didn't even need to ask for parental permission anymore, not that a parent's refusal to allow them to see each other would have stopped them. 

Erin grinned. "Sounds perfect! I have to meet my history project partner first, someone named Patty, but after that the night is ours. My day is going pretty well too. Enriched math is fabulous so far, and I end the day with advanced science so all in all the school year is off to a pretty good start." 

"I end the day with advanced science too!" 

A quick schedule check confirmed it: they were indeed in the same advanced science class. It was a much more important event than it seemed; the pair rarely had any classes together, let alone a class in which they could research and plan their book. 

Advanced science and technology was an option given to only the best and brightest of the senior class, sort of a combination of physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering, ranging in difficulty from introductory to college level. (Just go with it. -EL).

Abby and Erin finished their lunch, then headed off to class, eager to start work. 

They went to the top floor science labs, where only advanced science students had classes. Abby and Erin had dreamed of this moment since high school had started. Their school might have a crappy art department, low funding, sporadically-functioning heating systems, and an anti-bullying program so neglected it was fairly considered nonexistent, but the science labs were golden. 

Abby and Erin quickly went inside their assigned lab and took their seats at the table closest to the front. They took out their notebooks and worked a little on Ghosts from our Past, but the bell had rung a lot sooner than they had anticipated, followed soon after by the arrival of fellow students. Their teacher, a short middle-aged balding man, went over to the blackboard and scrawled the name "Professor Michaels" in off-white chalk that looked as old as he was. 

"Good afternoon class," Michaels began. "My name is Professor Michaels. Congratulations to all of you on being accepted into this program. You are all very lucky to be here. Now, let's begin." 

Michaels began the class by handing out supply lists, textbooks, and parent permission forms. He then proceeded to pair students up as lab partners. He explained that he had had problems in the past with students picking their own groups, and so began pairing off the class in his typically brisk no-nonsense manner. 

Abby was paired with a girl named Jillian, Erin with a girl named Patty. The two friends exchanged a glum look, then reluctantly separated to go sit with their partners. 

Erin found out that the Patty Tolan she had been assigned with was also the very same Patty she had been placed with for History class. The two girls hit it off almost immediately. 

The class went on quite prosaically, Erin and Patty discreetly talking for most of it, not that either fact should in any way disparage Professor Michaels' style of teaching, which was rather engaging.

Erin glanced over to see how Abby was doing, to find her trying -and failing- to stifle her laughter at something her lab partner had said. Erin frowned slightly before going back to note-taking (and obsessive highlighting and colour-coding). 

What could she possibly have said to make Abby laugh like that? Erin wondered, slightly jealous at how well her best (and perhaps only) friend was getting along with a girl she had only just met. She shook it off quickly. It wasn't really like her to get so possessive of Abby, though she did have to admit to herself at least how little she liked feeling left out. 

Throughout the lecture, Erin stole not-so-subtle glances at Abby and Jillian. 

Abby's lab partner certainly looked like a mad scientist. With goggles placed haphazardly over short blonde curls, a rugged pair of overalls and combat boots, and bizarre facial expressions and hand gestures, Erin didn't quite know what to make of the other girl's nutty appearance. Erin didn't realize she had been staring until the girl peeked back at her, throwing Erin a smirk with a cocked eyebrow and a saucy wink. 

Erin looked away, embarrassed, cheeks heated, hoping that Abby hadn't noticed the slightly unusual exchange. She decided to focus on her own lab partner and the lesson. Girls like Jillian were chaos personified, and if nothing else mattered, Erin lived for control. 

 

******************************


	2. A Promising First Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for to the two lovely people who were the first to comment on chapter one! Thanks guys!
> 
> I just want to add that I'll be going on vacation next week and will be unable to post new chapters, so I'm taking advantage of this (completely free) week to post like crazy. 
> 
> Enjoy!

As the days went by, Abby and Jillian became fast friends. Before long, they had a myriad of ridiculously complicated handshakes and inside jokes, and although Erin knew there was no logical reason to be jealous (Abby and Erin still got together practically every night), she couldn't help but feel a little left out, like she was never invited to join the fun. 

Perhaps Abby picked up on it, but she never addressed the issue, so Erin let it be. After all, they were lab partners, not co-authors, and Erin and Patty had gotten pretty close over the past few classes too, so it should've been a win-win. 

Erin tried not to think that there might be another reason behind the weird feelings she had whenever she saw the two of them together.

After all, it was only natural to be curious about the girl who'd winked at her so brazenly, there was nothing else going on. She hadn't even spoken to the girl, for crying out loud. Jillian only occupied her thoughts because of her eccentric appearance, not for any other reason. Not at all. 

Erin pushed the unwanted thoughts out of her mind, resolutely heading outside the school where she was supposed to meet Abby. She'd just gotten to their designated rendezvous point when she received a text from Abby herself, reading: 

"Sorry, I got caught up at the lab. Can you meet me here? Holtzmann (lab partner) wanted to exchange some notes." 

That girl again! Erin huffed under her breath. Brushing her auburn bangs out of her eyes, she squared her shoulders and went back inside. 

Upon entering the lab, Erin paused in the doorway, watching the two of them surreptitiously. Abby and Jillian (Holtzmann, rather, Erin filed away for future reference) were indeed talking heatedly over a pile of notebooks and loose papers. They were apparently just finishing, for Holtzmann scribbled down a few sentences at Abby's dictation, and began sweeping her things into some semblance of order, while Abby gathered her notes into a neat pile and handed them over to her partner. 

Abby glanced up, spotting Erin and immediately waving her over to come join them. Erin hesitated, then went inside to join her friend. 

"Hey Erin, we were just finishing up. Ready to go?" Abby asked. 

"Yup," Erin replied. "I mean, yes. I found some articles we can go through, and a lot of them actually seem credible for once." 

"Great!" Abby replied enthusiastically. Noting some awkwardness, she continued: 

"Erin, this is Jillian Holtzmann. She's my lab partner, remember? Holtz, this is my best friend Erin Gilbert." 

"Hey," Erin greeted. 

"Come here often?" Holtz replied, as a (slightly flirtatious) means of introducing herself. 

"Just for class or projects usually," Erin continued obliviously. 

Holtz barked a laugh, did a complex-looking handshake with Abby, then left the room with her notes, pausing at the door. 

"Nice shirt by the way, Gilbert. I think you've got just about the world's tiniest bow-ties there." 

Another smile and wave, and Holtz was gone. 

Erin looked down at the shirt in question, which was in fact a white T-shirt covered with tiny bow-ties. If it wasn't for the fact that Holtz dressed strangely herself, Erin would almost think she was being made fun of in a less friendly way. Unlike the 'Ghost Girl' mocking she had endured from so many of her classmates, Erin didn't altogether mind Holtz's joshing. 

Abby, amused by the exchange, gave a short laugh before turning to Erin to discuss the ghost-related articles and making plans for that night's brainstorming session. 

Erin, on the other hand, was just trying her best to focus on the task at hand instead of thinking about Holtzmann. Why wouldn't she just get out of her head? 

******************************

Ghost Girl. Erin still cringed at the name. Lying in a sleeping bag on her floor, with Abby in a similar position close by, she was wide awake, her thoughts free to wander. 

The thoughts in question wandered over to the embarrassment and humiliation she still felt over her classmates' mocking comments.

It would've been almost easy to handle the way her parents refused to believe that she'd really seen a ghost if she could only be seen as a normal girl at school. She could forget about being put into therapy as a child and being asked why she would make up such a silly story. 

Of course, as she got older she learned to lie to her parents, saying things like "I was just asking for attention" and "it was a long time ago, can we please forget about it?" 

Comments like these made her parents and therapist relieved. She was growing up at last, they thought, leaving behind those childish ghost stories. Everyone assumed she'd been traumatized by her first experience with death, and had made up seeing a ghost to cope with it. Therapy was slowly transitioned out of her week, and the incident was reduced to a funny story, brought out at family gatherings. Erin laughed at herself along with everyone else. No one noticed her flinch, no one heard the forced laughter, and know one saw or felt her pain. Perhaps she was a ghost girl after all, and we all know ghosts don't really exist.

However, she'd also talked about ghosts with a few friends in elementary school prior to figuring out that she should keep her ghost sightings quiet. The 'friends' in question dropped her quickly, some merely excluding the so-called weird girl from their birthday parties, others bullying her outright. She'd never liked to be teased. She was always the sensitive one.

Memories like this made Erin want to drop the ghost thing altogether, become a respectable scientist, and forget about anything that couldn't be measured in a lab or calculated with the aid of an equation. No respected institute or university would hire her once they learned of her fascination with the paranormal. She could handle a few teasing classmates, but was her and Abby's project really worth being mocked and shunned by the entire scientific community? 

Her and Abby's project. She smiled at her friend's sleeping form, all doubts momentarily banished from her mind. Abby had believed her when no one else did, mostly because she had had a similar ghost experience herself. If Abby was brave enough not to care what others thought of her and her work, Erin would just have to learn to be that way too. Surely they weren't the only ones seriously studying ghosts. They could figure out this ghost thing together. They could figure out anything together.


	3. The Aldridge Mansion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your next installment of this fanfic is brought to you in part by my lack of social life, obsessive geekiness, and way too much free time. Enjoy! :)

It was lunchtime, and Erin and Abby were planning and working on Ghosts from our Past in the school library. With all the homework they had been getting lately, they couldn't let any free time be squandered that could be spent working on their 'baby', as Abby was fond of calling it. 

Abby was just in the middle of explaining a complicated theory of hers to Erin, when none other than Jillian Holtzmann walked in. 

"Hey Abby," she greeted her lab partner warmly. "I just thought I'd return those notes I borrowed the other day. Whatcha workin' on?" 

"Nothing," Erin interrupted, half out of being reluctant to divulge the details of her and Abby's project to an outsider, half to avoid possible ridicule. 

"You can tell her, it's okay," Abby reassured her. "Holtz, remember when we exchanged notes, we were talking about science and the paranormal came up? Well, Erin and I were researching ghost stories and things like that, just for fun you know." 

Erin sighed softly, momentarily relieved that Abby hadn't given away their whole plan to a virtual stranger, albeit one who enjoyed discussing paranormal events as much as they did. 

"Ghosts, huh? You know, there's an old house on my street they say is haunted. You guys could come over and check it out sometime if you want," Holtzmann offered. 

"That would be amazing! How's today after school?" asked Abby, instantly psyched at the mere prospect of a real ghost hunt. 

"Perfect. I'll see you then." Holtz saluted jovially and turned to leave, taking a pair of safety goggles out of her overalls pocket on her way out. 

Abby immediately went back to their research, but Erin wasn't sold on Holtzmann's idea so easily. 

"What if it's a hoax?" She suggested. "She could be making fun of us, it could all be an elaborate joke. Or the house could be just a normal ghost-free house. You can't seriously believe that-" 

"Believe what? That she's a nice person who wouldn't do that? Because you know what Erin? We were talking about ghosts before and she believes in them just as much as we do," Abby countered, suddenly slightly annoyed. She sighed, as if regretting her momentary anger. 

"Look," she continued, "I know you don't know her very well, but she's trustworthy, I promise. I don't know if the house is really haunted, it's very possible that it's just an ordinary spooky old house. But I do know one thing: Holtz isn't dishonest. It's not a trick. The least we can do is go and see it, and maybe we'll actually see something!" 

Abby had a point: whatever may come of it, it couldn't hurt to go and see. 

******************************

"The Aldridge Mansion? The spooky old house in your neighbourhood is the Aldridge Mansion?" 

Holtz shrugged at Abby and Erin's incredulous faces, focusing instead on the imposing building in front of them. 

"Want to go inside?" Holtz asked them. 

"Don't you need a tour guide? You can't just walk in," pointed out Erin. 

"I had a part time job here over the summer, at my mother's request in order to pay her back for.....well.......highly unsafe science experiments resulting in minor property damage," Holtzmann explained. "I still have my key. I repeat: shall we go?" 

Ignoring the look that passed between the two friends, Jillian Holtzmann lead the way to the door. 

"It's huge in here!" exclaimed Abby once they were inside. 

"So what's the story? You said it was haunted, right? What happened here?" Erin wondered, trying to keep the group on task instead of admiring the mansion's extravagant decor. 

"It's a long story. Rich family, crazy daughter, mass murder, blah blah blah. Apparently the girl was locked up in the basement until she died. Chips, anyone?" Holtz brusquely changed the subject, producing a small canister of Pringles seemingly out of nowhere and offering them to the two girls, who refused. 

"Who died?" asked Abby. 

"The servants," Holtz supplied. 

An awkward silence followed, broken when Holtzmann pointed out the door to the basement. Abby pulled hard at the handle, but the door refused to budge. 

"Looks like someone really doesn't want us going down there," Abby remarked, moving on to the living room. 

The three of them inspected the room thoroughly, but nothing out of the ordinary occurred, until Erin noticed a soft blue light emanating from the hallway and coming closer. 

She nudged Abby. Abby got excited and motioned to Holtzmann, who silently pulled out a video camera and switched it on, while Erin hoped fervently that the light was a ghost and not an angry police officer with a flashlight. She wasn't disappointed. 

A figure of a young woman in a long gown floated towards them. Her hair was piled up on her head. A creepy smile and narrowed eyes completed the ghostly spectre. Blue light coupled with the occasional spark of energy radiated from the phantom. 

"That is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," breathed Abby. "Should we try talking to her? Is she hostile?" she continued. 

Erin shook her head. "She seems peaceful. I'll try to speak with her." 

Summoning her courage, she approached the unearthly creature and introduced herself politely, resulting in communication from the ghost, though probably not what she wanted or expected. The ghost vomited blue-clear slime all over Erin, who quickly found herself soaked to the skin in goo. The ghost responsible for the slime-attack promptly turned around and disappeared upstairs. 

The three girls exchanged stunned looks, before running outside excitedly to go discuss what they had seen. It was then that Holtzmann was filled in on the project of Ghosts from our Past and formally joined the team later known as the Ghostbusters.


	4. Patty's Problem

A fortnight went by. As Erin got to know Holtzmann, the jealousy she felt over having to share Abby gradually faded, thinning from an opaque fog to clear skies as she started seeing Holtz's true personality and appreciating her for the funny, quirky, loyal friend she was. 

The group was formed, dubbed the Ghostbusters by the kids at school after the video at the Aldridge Mansion was posted online. Strangely, Erin didn't mind being 'Ghost Girl' when she was with Abby and Holtz. Being an outcast wasn't so bad when you had two awesome best friends to be outcasts with you. 

The Ghostbusters claimed Abby's parents' basement as their personal office, seeing as it was an unfinished space that was deemed to spooky and gross even to be used for storage boxes. It was damp, cold, musty, and smelled faintly of Chinese food, but it was their safe haven for the time being. 

******************************

It was a normal day just like any other, which funnily enough is always the case right up to the point where something happens. Such was the case that day, when Holtz, Erin, and Abby were all hanging out in the basement, discussing ghosts and occasionally writing a page or two of homework (mostly discussing ghosts). 

A lot about the basement had changed since they first took over the space. The cold concrete floors had been covered up with piles of old cushions and blankets, creating a soft spongy sort of multicoloured carpet. Posters of notable female scientists served as wallpaper, with the occasional 80's rock band poster supplied by Holtz. Papers littered the floor in haphazard piles, though Abby swore she had a system in place and that chaos was a sign of a creative mind. 

They were just starting to eat the ridiculous amount of Chinese food they had ordered (and started hearing another one of Abby's rants about the wanton to broth ratio) when the doorbell rang. They heard Abby's mom answer it, welcome someone in and send them downstairs, apparently to see the four friends. 

"Hi." 

"Patty! Hey!" Erin greeted her new friend. "I haven't seen you in a while. What brings you here?" 

"I'm actually having some ghost issues. I saw your video online, and everybody's talkin' about you being the Ghostbusters and trying to find out stuff about ghosts and I thought you could help me." Patty, usually never shy, seemed a bit ill at ease in the face of what she had to say. 

"Of course. We'd love to help, right guys?" Erin looked at Abby and Holtzmann for confirmation, smiling when she heard their assent.

"What seems to be the trouble?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry! I know it's short, but this is the first chance I've had to write since I got back from vacation and I really wanted to give you guys a chapter. I'll get a nice long one ready for you soon, I promise. Bye for now!


	5. A Little Adventure

Patty's ghost was apparently haunting the subway station where her dad works, and it had given her a real fright last time she had visited. Her dad hadn't seen it (and subsequently didn't believe her) but she knew that it was real. She had done a little research out of curiosity and had discovered that the station had been built where an old jail used to stand. 

This informed, Abby Erin and Holtz looked at each other, unsure of how best to proceed. They had researched on ghosts, theorized about ghosts, and had even caught one on film, but so far had yet to bust one. All eyes turned to Holtzmann, who always seemed to have an interesting (if not legal, safe, appropriate, etc) idea to share. 

"Don't look at me," Holtz smiled wryly. "I'm only just starting my training to become an engineer and inventor, I'm nowhere near actually doing it." 

"Never mind then," Abby brushed off the idea. "Why don't we come by this weekend and see what's going on? Even if we can't actually do anything about it we'll at least have some new footage." 

The four girls spent a pleasant evening talking and laughing, until Patty and Holtzmann had to go home, the former having been sent off with a promise that the Ghostbusters would come by and check out what was haunting her. 

"How about that," Abby grinned at her best friend. "Our first client." 

******************************

When Saturday morning arrived, Patty, Erin, Abby, and Holtzmann were at the station, ready to confront the ghost, if their lack of weapons and protective gear of any kind really counted as 'ready'. Nevertheless, the group had research booklets and a video camera. What could go wrong? 

"Here was where I saw it," Patty told the ghostbusters, motioning towards a deserted alley behind the building. "We were checking behind there because sometimes vandals come here with spray paint and go nuts on the wall. As we were leaving I heard something behind me. I turned around and there it was." 

They rounded the corner, expecting to see it again, but were met only with a vandal 'going nuts on the wall', as Patty put it. 

"Oh come on!" Patty exclaimed. It was a kid, a neighbour of hers as she later explained to the group. 

"Hey Patty," the boy greeted flirtatiously. "How's it going?" He spoke nonchalantly while shaking a can of paint. 

"You can't keep coming back here!" Patty scolded. 

"Whatcha doin'?" The boy asked nonchalantly, ignoring Patty's disapproval. 

"Looking for ghosts," Holtz replied.

"Oh yeah? I've seen a few around here. Did yours look like this?" He sprayed a white outline of a ghost on the wall, filling it in quickly and adding big eyes and a goofy grin. 

"No." Patty deadpanned, glaring at the boy. 

"Okay, okay, not like that. Forget it was ever here. No ghosts allowed here," the boy went on, spraying a red circle around the picture and drawing a red line through it. For Patty, that was the last straw. 

Seeing that things could get ugly fast, Abby stepped in. 

"Okay, go away now. There are security guards all around here, so you'd better go before one comes back and sees you." Abby escorted him away from the building while the others followed, Patty muttering under her breath about the lack of respect for buildings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. I'll try to update again sometime this week. As always, you guys are amazing and I'm happy people seem to like the fic so far. I have some other fics in progress that hopefully I'll post soon. Comments are always welcome as well as constructive criticism. Bye until next time!


	6. Just a quick note

Hi guys! I'm really sorry, but I'm going through major writer's block right now and I need to take a break from this fic. I also just started back at school (yes I'm still a student) recently and I need to adjust to the workload and get back into my routine before I can give you regular updates. Hopefully I'll be writing again soon and when that happens I'll be sure to post an awesome new chapter. Until next time,   
\- enjolras_lexa


	7. Erin to the Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go! One brand-new chapter as promised. And it has some actual romance for a change. You guys rock for being so patient. I would've lost my mind out of sheer frustration. Enjoy!

Chapter Six: 

Since the four girls became the Ghostbusters, they had gone through a lot. Teasing at school, concerned looks from parents (except Erin's, who thankfully had no idea), disapproval from teachers, but no real ghost-hunting. Besides Patty, no one at school had seen a ghost and wanted help in busting it. This was an enormous setback, but the four girls refused to dwell on it. Instead, they spent most of their time working on the book Abby and Erin had started: Ghosts from our Pasts. 

Patty had proved herself as a history buff several times over, producing articles and books on historical ghost sightings. Holtz was working on the experimental part of the research, taking the slime samples they had gotten from the Aldridge Mansion and testing them. So far she had discovered that the slime did not seem to be made of any known elements, and had accidentally discovered that it was highly flammable. 

Of course, had Erin not walked into the room and distracted Holtz, the sample in question would still be in one piece, not that Erin knew anything about the real reason behind the disaster. Abby and Patty had long known about the crush Holtzmann so clearly had on Erin, but Erin was too busy crushing on various cute boys to notice. Right now, the object of her adoration was Kevin, a really dumb boy from their Gym class. Funnily enough, he was too busy staring at pretty much every girl in their grade to notice Erin. 

One afternoon, Abby decided to talk to Holtz about it, however, when Abby came down to their basement lab, she found Holtzmann dancing suggestively around various explosive substances. This in itself was nothing new, but the way Erin stared at her sure was. Abby had never seen Erin look that way before. Could she be wrong? Could Erin like Holtzmann? 

*************

Jillian Holtzmann had been infatuated with Erin since they met. At first, she flirted. The winking, the suggestive comments, and the teasing had gone on for an age. When that didn't work, she toned it down enough for them to become friends. Nothing was weird between them, because Erin had been completely oblivious the entire time. Abby and Patty had noticed, Holtz was sure of it, but Erin herself sure didn't seem to. 

One particular afternoon, Holtzmann was in her lab section of the basement. Abby had long ago given her fellow Ghostbusters the right to use her parents' basement whenever they pleased, whether she was home or not. 

Holtz was hard at work on testing the Aldridge slime, as they had begun calling it. She had performed every test known to man and was no closer to figuring out exactly what it was. Out of ideas, she put it in a bowl on the hot plate. Perhaps figuring out its boiling point would help further along new discoveries. 

Leaving her research quite literally on the back burner, she produced a toaster from her backpack and began tinkering, music blaring. It was in this state that Erin found her when she came down. 

Erin paused on the staircase, observing the spectacle below. 

Holtz was simultaneously dancing to Debarge's Rhythm of the Night and repairing a busted toaster (not busted as in ghosts, unfortunately for their research). From what Erin could glean, the toaster was heating up a lot more than it was supposed to. Holtz threw a piece of bread in the air Italian-pizza-dough-style; it did no less than three somersaults before landing perfectly in the toaster. Triumphant, Holtz put it down on the lowest setting, where it promptly and gloriously caught fire. Erin rushed in, concerned for Holtz's safety, but only caused her to topple the flaming toaster onto the bowl containing the hot slime and igniting it. It was then that Abby saw them putting out the fire, Erin frantically examining Holtz's hands for burns. 

Abby wrote down her observations like a true scientist analyzing the data. The way Erin rushed in to help Holtz could be seen as strong friendship, but the way she had watched her dance told a different story. Right now Erin was actually blushing, avoiding Holtz's gaze and playing with her hair. 

Patty crept downstairs, pausing when Abby gave the signal to remain quiet. Neither of them made a noise as they watched the scene unfold below. 

"Oh, Gilbert, I didn't know you were so concerned with my safety," Holtz teased, poking Erin in the tummy. 

"What? No, I was just making sure you didn't burn the house down," Erin replied, blushing horribly even as she tried in vain to play it cool. 

She and Holtz laughed, but Erin's definitely sounded more nervous than usual. 

Holtz pulled a red pocketknife out, passing it to Erin. 

"Here, take it as a thank you." 

Erin suddenly grew wary. 

"Why, what does it do?" 

"Relax, Gilbert," Holtz reassured her. "No Get Smart-type attachments here. I just thought it might come in handy." 

When Erin hesitated, Holtz rolled her eyes. 

"I'm serious! No flamethrower or anything. Just a Swiss Army Knife." 

"Okay," Erin accepted it, "Thank you. That's really nice of you." 

"Don't mention it," Holtzmann replied, punctuating her remark with a casual wink. 

Abby and Patty watched Erin smile and blush as Holtz's eyes revealed more about her gesture than she had let on. 

Were they wrong? Could Erin like Jillian Holtzmann?


	8. Romantic Trouble and a Symbolic Knife

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to all of you awesome patient readers. You rock!

Erin and Abby were at work on their book, as they often were. For once, they had the basement all to themselves, for reasons that Abby knew and Erin was curious about. For some reason, Patty and Holtzmann were absent. Abby had said that they were working on a school assignment, but in reality Abby and Patty had each split off with Erin and Holtz to talk about what they had seen in the basement laboratory between the two girls. If their casual flirting and shared glances were going to lead to something, they had to be prepared. 

"So I have this chapter about finished, and my notes for the next chapter are right here," Erin said, passing a thick notebook over to Abby. "We just need practical data now, otherwise our book is nearly finished. Isn't that exciting!" 

"Very," Abby agreed, and normally she would have been overjoyed to hear the news, but today her smile came out more like a grimace. 

"Okay, that's it." Erin put down the papers and looked her best friend in the eye. "There's obviously something on your mind. You've been acting weird for the past couple of days and it's pissing me off. If you need to say something, just say it. You know you can tell me anything." 

"We saw you and Holtzmann together," Abby blurted. 

"What do you mean?" Erin asked nonchalantly even as she turned beet red. 

"The other day, when Holtz was working and set a bowl of slime on fire. You rushed in and saved her."

"She hardly needed saving, Abby, it was a minor accident by her standards," Erin replied, forcing a short laugh. 

"You know what I mean. And I see the way you look at her. Is something going on?" Erin tried not to notice how eager and excited Abby was getting over this, and her own confused feelings on the subject into the bargain. Obviously, nothing was going on between herself and Jillian. Right?

"I don't know what you mean," Erin evaded the question smoothly, (she hoped). "I was concerned for her safety. I'm sure you and Patty would have done the same thing." 

"Yeah, but we wouldn't flirt with her afterwards," Abby returned, raising an eyebrow. 

Erin couldn't take it anymore. 

"Fine! Yes, I like Jillian, but it's not like she feels the same way. She flirts like that with everyone. It's just her way of being friendly, it doesn't mean anything. I don't want to make her uncomfortable, so please don't say anything." 

"I won't tell her if you don't want me to," Abby replied, her voice softening. "But I think you're wrong. That pocket knife she gave you? It belonged to a science teacher from her old school, Holtz's mentor, who gave her that knife for good luck in her new school. She treasured that knife, and she gave it to you just like that. What does that tell you?" 

"That she was happy I rescued her from the evil burning slime?" 

Abby gave her a look. 

"Even if you're right," Erin continued, "it wouldn't be a good idea to date. It would screw up the group, and it would screw up our friendship. It's never going to happen." 

*************************

"So what's this about, Patty?" 

Holtzmann had not fallen for the school assignment ruse. They'd gotten as far as the public library when Holtz dragged Patty over to a park bench just outside the door. 

"We're not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on." 

Patty dropped the act. She'd never been a very good liar. 

"Abby and I saw you and Erin the other day." 

"What?" 

"You know, in the basement. You were about to explode the Aldridge slime, and she came in to save you, and-" 

"Yes I remember. I was there, you know." Holtz's face heated at the memory. "What about it?" 

Patty looked at her meaningfully. 

"Fine. So she saved me from burning myself. So I gave her my knife. So what?" 

"From what Abby tells me, that knife means more to you than that. You clearly care." 

"I care about a lot of things," Holtz avoided Patty's perceptive stare. 

"No, you don't actually," Patty pointed out. "You care about that knife, and ghostbusting, and your inventions, and Erin, not necessarily in that order. You do however especially care about Erin. Any moron can see that you're crazy about her." 

"But she's not crazy about me," Holtz whispered, letting her casual unfazed facade slip, if only for a moment. "She just sees me as a friend. I don't even think she likes girls." 

"Think again," pronounced Patty. "According to Abby, she happens to be bi. She's only just realized it herself, and she doesn't tell people because after her parents wouldn't believe her about the ghost, she figured they wouldn't believe her about anything else either. But she doesn't just like girls, Holtz. She likes you." 

There was a short pause, then Holtz got to her feet. 

"I need to talk to Erin." 

***************** 

"Fine! I like Jillian, but it's not like she feels the same way." 

Holtzmann sat on the stairs, eavesdropping on her two friends and fellow ghostbusters. Patty sat a few steps above her.

As they listened, and Holtzmann heard those words, she felt a strange mixture of love for Erin, happiness at the fact that she had said that she has feelings for her, and sadness at the idea that Erin thought she didn't feel the same way. 

Holtz stealthily crept down the stairs, unnoticed by Erin and Abby. Most of their conversation went in one ear and out the other, until: 

"It wouldn't be a good idea to date. It would screw up the group, and it would screw up our friendship. It's never going to happen."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now that I have a better idea of where this story is going, and winter break is coming up, you can expect my next update to be relatively soon. Sorry for the wait, and thank you for your patience.


	9. Two Miserable Girls

Jillian Holtzmann paced around her bedroom, blind to her surroundings. All she could think about was Erin, more specifically, the last thing she had heard Erin say. 

"It's never going to happen." 

"It's never going to happen." 

These words replayed through Holtzmann's mind over and over. The more she thought about it, the more upset she became.  
Erin had feelings for her. Erin cared about her, and yet would rather shut her out altogether than give their relationship a real chance. Nothing could have prepared her for this. Nothing hurt worse than being ignored, dismissed, without a second thought. 

Though maybe it wouldn't have worked out anyway. Erin cares far too much about what other people think to be with someone like Jillian Holtzmann. Holtz, you break things, you burn things, you make them fall apart, you’re a danger to yourself and others. If you and Erin dated, you’d likely accidentally kill her within a month, and that’s if the gossip and staring from judgmental teenagers doesn’t kill us first. 

No, she told herself. Stop thinking that way. Erin cares for you, but it scares her. That's all. She's finding excuses to push you away, nothing more. Just let her come to you. Let her decide what she wants. After all that's happened, you at least owe her that.  
Jillian repeated this over and over, her new mantra, wishing and hoping fervently that it was true. 

********************

Erin paced her bedroom, at odds with herself.

Part of her wanted to be with Jillian so badly it scared her. When she fell, she fell hard. That part of her wanted to kiss her, to hold her, to tell her she loved her and would never leave. All she wanted was Jillian, how could she tell herself anything else? It was pathetic to just sit here moping when she could be wooing the girl she loves, to do anything and everything to make her see how she truly felt. 

The other half of her wanted to squash the first half. Told her constantly that she was being stupid, weak, and naive to think that Jillian could ever love her back. For all Abby had said, she still didn’t know how Jillian felt about her, and she was too frightened to ask. Erin told herself that having a relationship this young was ridiculous, anyhow. It was far more important that she focus on her career, now more than ever. Jillian was a distraction, nothing more. She almost wished that this part of her was telling the truth, because otherwise she had a big problem. 

The real, no-filter, deep-down truth was that she had feelings for Jillian, but didn't know what to do about them. She needed time and space to think about how she felt, only then could she talk to Jillian. She just hoped that after all this, Jillian still wanted to talk to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and sweet, I know, but my schedule has been crazy busy and it's about to get worse. I know I'm not the most reliable updater but the story's good, right? (God I hope it's good)  
> I know where I'm going with it now so that's something, and updating from my new laptop will be much easier than on my ipod's teensy keyboard. Put any questions, comments, and concerns below. Thanks for reading!


	10. Help!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exams have been a bitch, but it's all over now. Here's your next episode of Falling for You! As always, I love you guys, comments are gold, and enjoy!

Jillian Holtzmann had been taking time away from the group. Erin needed her space. 

It had only been three days, and already it was killing her. 

She had been spending a lot of pre and post school time on her computer and tinkering at various household objects, usually getting frustrated when the former took a long time to load and when the latter broke into ten thousand pieces as a result of said tinkering. Thankfully the reverse hadn't yet occurred, but if this went into a second week she was going to take her laptop apart, damn the consequences. 

She was looking forlornly at the toaster she'd been repairing when Erin saved her from being incinerated (it had been given a place of honour on her desk) when her slow Internet finally decided to work and her email popped up. 

She scanned the message, her stomach flip-flopping. It was Erin. 

********** 

One hour earlier: 

Erin, Abby, and Patty were at the school library. They had been conducting their meetings there after school since Erin and Holtz's.........whatever. There had actually been a meeting to discuss what to call it. Break-up was the best fit, yet not quite descriptive enough.

At any rate, Erin hadn't been able to go to their basement lab since she and Holtz stopped speaking. 

It had only been three days, and already it was killing her. 

So the three of them had started meeting in the library. Abby and Erin worked on the book, while Patty proofread and made adjustments and additions to their research. The work was mostly done in silence. Without Holtz, the three of them were automatons. 

It had happened when all was still. They were the last ones in the library, save the librarian who was half-asleep at her desk. It was 4:30 in the afternoon. Erin heard a noise, glanced out the window at a bird perched on a thin branch, swaying precariously in the breeze. Suddenly it came. 

She and the others jumped up from their work, beyond startled. The sleepy librarian screamed. Erin grabbed her cell and called Holtzmann, but she didn't pick up. The other two escorted the frightened librarian outside. Knowing Holtz operated more by email than phone because the sound of a text or call distracted her from her projects, Erin tapped out a quick message. 

THERE'S A GHOST IN THE SCHOOL LIBRARY. ANGRY AS HELL. THROWING BOOKS. STACKING THEM BY SIZE, THEN SETTING THEM ON FIRE. SLIME EVERYWHERE. GET HERE NOW.  
I NEED YOU.  
-E


	11. Jillian to the Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, as promised. Enjoy!

Holtzmann was still for a moment, paralyzed with fear. A real ghost was at their school, which normally would have excited her, but this time was different. Erin was in danger. 

"What could I possibly do to help her?" she wondered aloud. All her weapons were prototypes, or failures. Most of them only ever...... wait. 

She grinned, a plan quickly coming together. Jillian Holtzmann carefully gathered her weapons and inventions together, and was out the door in a flash. 

After all, Erin needed her. 

************

Erin, Patty, and Abby stared openmouthed at the ghost. It was knocking over bookshelves, smashing computers, and upsetting tables and chairs with a flick of its translucent wrist. Clearly not friendly. The lights flickered, then went out in a blast of sparks. The three girls, seeing as they were unarmed, did their best to stay out of the ghost's way, hiding under tables and running when necessary to avoid flying debris. A small fire ignited the big red couch that the four of them liked to sit on. Now it was war. 

They may not have weapons, Erin realized, but she still had Holtz's pocketknife. Swiss Army knife, she corrected, berating herself for not thinking of it sooner. 

She flicked through the attachments, searching in vain for anything she could use. Holtz had said the knife was normal, no added and potentially dangerous gadgets, but it was Holtzmann. There had to be something. 

While she was looking, the ghost broke through the doors and began banging through the school. Thankfully it was after school hours and hardly anyone was about, or this disaster would have been about ten thousand times worse. 

Abby and Patty rushed after the angry spirit, hot on its heels, or slime, while Erin struggled to search the knife and still keep up. 

The three of them chased the ghost to the computer lab, frightening the hell out of a few freshmen working on a PowerPoint project. 

"Everybody out!" Abby bellowed. 

Patty texted Holtz from Erin's phone to update their whereabouts. 

Erin continued flipping through the knife's many attachments as Abby and Patty secured the area, and the ghost started exploding the computers. Suddenly, Erin found it. 

"Take that, ghost!" 

She aimed her knife and fired. A net sprang out of the red Swiss Army Knife, capturing the ghost and tying it to some nearby tables. The three girls cheered. The ghost spewed slime in retaliation, all of it landing on Erin's head, but even slime couldn't dampen the girls' spirits. 

Someone behind them suddenly cleared their throat, startling the three friends. 

"Did somebody call Ghostbusters?" 

It was Holtzmann! They were saved. 

Erin and Jillian locked eyes across the room, and suddenly the ghost, the fighting, and their imminent danger, flew out of their minds completely. Jillian carefully placed her bag on the floor, as Erin ran into her arms. 

They embraced tightly, all of their fighting and confusion forgotten. Jillian stroked Erin's back and finger-combed her hair, inwardly celebrating when she felt her relax under her touch. 

Erin broke them apart slightly, bringing them face to face. Their eyes locked for a moment. Erin tightened her arms around Jillian's waist, glancing down at her lips before capturing them with her own in a sweetly passionate kiss. Jillian pulled Erin's body closer to her own, running her hands through auburn hair before resting them gently on Erin's hips. Erin deepened the kiss, backing Jillian against the wall and softly cradling her jaw in one hand, grabbing a fistful of blonde hair with the other. 

"I know a reunion has been long overdue, but we kind of have a ghost on our hands." 

Patty's voice broke the spell, for now anyway. 

Jillian kissed Erin's forehead, reluctantly pulling away. Erin followed, at last remembering her duty. After all, they were Ghostbusters. There would be plenty of time for kissing later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for waiting so patiently. I've been crazy busy lately so it's been hard to find time to sit and write, but you can expect your final chapter next weekend for sure. I hope you liked reading this fic as much as I've enjoyed writing it for you. It's been a long hectic year, but writing Falling for You and reading all your lovely comments has been wonderful. See you next week!


	12. The End!

The ghost wriggled in its net, spewing more slime, reminding them why they were here. 

"I brought some inventions I was working on," Holtzmann explained, carefully unpacking weapons and gadgets and placing them down softly, as though she were afraid they might explode at the slightest touch. 

Erin narrowed her eyes, suddenly suspicious. Jillian was never careful without a good reason. 

"Of course, none of them are strictly speaking 'ready for use'," Holtz elaborated. She coughed, a bit embarrassed. "By that I mean.......they kind of......blow up. I haven't yet found a way to make this technology safe enough." 

"So instead of shooting the ghost..." Abby started to catch on. 

"They would explode it and everything around it," Holtz finished. 

"Explode it?!" Erin and Patty shouted in unison. 

"Shut up!" Holtzmann  
whisper-yelled. "Sorry, I mean, sound has the same effect on the inventions. Sound, touch, so much as sneezing while holding the guns can set off the explosion. But if we do this correctly, it will work to our advantage, and neutralize the ghost. 

Holtzmann explained her plan. They were to stand a short distance away from the ghost, each holding a weapon, and simultaneously throw them at the ghost. If Holtzmann's calculations were correct, a small explosion would occur, effectively busting the ghost and maybe part of the computer lab. 

"And if your calculations aren't exact?" asked Patty. 

"The entire earth will explode into about fifty billion pieces," Holtzmann replied. 

"But there's a small chance of that happening, right?" Abby questioned. Erin was starting to get nervous. 

"Definitely. We have a 99.9 percent chance of total success," Holtzmann reassured. At least, she thought she was being reassuring. The other three girls were only slightly less panicked than before. 

"Look, we don't have the time for doubts," Abby said, breaking the silence. "The ghost is about to break free. I say we throw one weapon. That should take care of the ghost quite nicely. Throwing all four is tempting, but the risk is too high. All in favour?" 

Three hands shot up. Holtzmann almost looked disappointed. 

 

Abby, Patty, Holtzmann, and Erin stood at the far end of the room. Erin had the longest arms and the best aim, so she held the gun. The ghost writhed in the net, on the verge of escaping. Erin took a deep breath. 

"You can do this," Jillian told her, slipping her hand into Erin's. 

Erin nodded. She took another deep breath, aimed, and threw. The ghost exploded as soon as the gun made contact. So did the computers and tables that were closest to it. So did the wall and all the windows. 

"A small explosion?!" cried three voices in unison. 

"Medium-sized explosion," the fourth replied. "Anyway, it worked, didn't it?" 

 

**************** 

Three months later: 

 

The four ghostbusters had explained their story again and again. Not one person believed them. Even the kids from the computer lab thought they'd all hallucinated it, and the librarian didn't remember a thing, though she'd passed out and hit her head pretty hard.

How they hadn't all gone to jail for exploding a school never failed to surprise Erin. They'd gotten away with a couple hundred hours of community service, and paying each one-quarter of the cost to repair the stuff the ghost broke and the wall that had been blown to pieces. And replacing the computers. Yeah, their parents were all pretty mad. 

They'd get through it though, Erin thought to herself. At this point, she didn't care if she never became a credible scientist. She and Abby would become physicists, Jillian would become an engineer and hopefully learn how to make real weapons, and Patty would get a degree in history and another in English. They would get their book published: Ghosts from Our Pasts. They would study ghosts, and yes, bust them too. As long as the four of them stuck together, Erin knew they could handle anything. 

And as for her and Jillian? They were in love. All the reasons for resisting had for Erin ceased to exist. She suspected that she'd simply been scared of how deeply she loved Jillian, not that she'd ever admit it. 

Jillian Holtzmann and Erin Gilbert? It had a nice ring to it. Jillian Holtzmann and Erin Gilbert, professional Ghostbusters? Yeah, that one sounded even better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you have it. I can't believe it's actually over. It's been a wonderful almost-a-year writing this. Thank you all so much for sticking with me, even when I made you wait ridiculously long for updates. Let me know down in the comments if you liked the ending, and tell me if there's anything in the fic that I should change.  
> Thank you for reading!  
> \- enjolras_lexa


End file.
